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Geochemistry of surface waters and weathering effects in the upper catchment of the Ctalamochita River, Cordoba’s Sierras Pampeanas (Central Argentina)

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Abstract

The chemical compositions of waters from the upper basin of the Ctalamochita River draining the Córdoba Pampean Ranges were analyzed to determine the chemical signature related to different forcings, geochemical processes, and solutes sources. The catchment has four sub-basins: Santa Rosa River, Grande River, Quillinzo River and De Los Sauces River. Most of the riverine chemical compositions are dominated by the HCO3−–Ca2+-type to Ca2+–Na+–Mg2+. The specific conductivity is higher in the Santa Rosa and De Los Sauces rivers (347.59 and 409.00 μS/cm, respectively) than in the Grande and Quillinzo rivers (125.56 and 87.54 μS/cm, respectively). Mineral hydrolysis of andesine and oligoclase and the dissolution of calco-magnesian limestone, are the main dissolved solids contributors to the river waters. Higher contribution of bicarbonate ions is associated to those sub-basin having quarry mining activity. Saturation indexes show that the Santa Rosa and De Los Sauces rivers are saturated with calcite, dolomite, and talc.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Córdoba Province Government through the project, “Base Environmental Studies in the Córdoba Province-PASMA II”. Also we acknowledge the supports from project Consolidar 2018–2019- 33620180100774CB, SECyT-UNC. We thanks to Fabián Leynaud (Minería de la Provincia de Córdoba) and Ariel Rampoldi (UNC) for their help during field campaigns. We fully appreciate the revision of the English grammar made by P. Depetris.

Funding

Funded by Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnología—Universidad Nacional de Córdoba with Grant number 63620180100774CB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), CONICET Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 1611, X5016DGA, Córdoba, Argentina

    Jorge O. Martínez & Diego M. Gaiero

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 1611, X5016DGA, Córdoba, Argentina

    Georgina Destéfanis, Jorge O. Martínez, Guillermo Ribeiro & Diego M. Gaiero

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  1. Georgina Destéfanis
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  2. Jorge O. Martínez
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Correspondence to Jorge O. Martínez.

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This article is a part of the Topical Collection in Environmental Earth Sciences on “Advances in Environmental Geochemistry” guest edited by Dr. Eleanor Carol, Dr. Lucia Santucci and Dr. Lia Botto.

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Destéfanis, G., Martínez, J.O., Ribeiro, G. et al. Geochemistry of surface waters and weathering effects in the upper catchment of the Ctalamochita River, Cordoba’s Sierras Pampeanas (Central Argentina). Environ Earth Sci 79, 451 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09200-2

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